5 December 2015 – As the United Nations climate change conference (COP21) marked ‘Action Day’ with dozens of events happening throughout its sprawling venue in the north-east of Paris, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the purpose of the occasion was to highlight solutions the world “so urgently” needs.

“Today, as never before, the stars are aligned in favour of strong, concerted action on climate change,” Mr. Ban told non-state actors and top governments officials, including French President François Hollande, in his remarks wrapping up the day.

5 December 2015 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today at the UN climate change conference (COP21) that a broad group of organizations will partner in 2016 to maintain momentum for multi-stakeholder climate implementation.

“I am heartened by the significant and growing coalitions that are emerging to tackle the challenges of climate change and realize new opportunities,” Mr. Ban underlined at the global event taking place in Paris, on a day dubbed “Action Day.”

“I am pleased to be joined by so many key partners to scale climate action efforts and make them sustainable,” he added.

At the opening event for ‘Young and Future Generations Day’ at the UN climate change conference (COP21), young climate advocates blow up balloons, representing the earth. 4 December 2015. Photo credit: UNFCCC

3 December 2015 – The halls of the United Nations climate change conference (COP21) grew livelier today as hundreds of participants gathered to mark “young and future generations day,” an opportunity for youth to remind world leaders and negotiators of the need to reach an ambitious climate agreement to secure their future, according to the UN Envoy on Youth.

“As the UN Secretary-General has said, we are the first generation which can eradicate extreme poverty but also we are the last generation that could reverse climate change,” recalled Ahmad Alhendawi, speaking to the UN News Service in Paris, France on the margins of the global event.

1 December 2015 – A powerful online research tool launched today in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) offers a window on the world’s global future to the 2080s, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

“What the tool shows us is that we must reduce emissions and we must also invest in adaptation,” Ertharin Cousin, the Executive Director of WFP, told the UN News Service in an interview following the launch of the new map at a COP21 press briefing.

1 December 2015 – The impacts of climate change on forests and agriculture were in the spotlight today at the United Nations climate change conference (COP21), as new alliances among organizations and stakeholders were announced aiming to eliminate natural deforestation and forest degradation, and to prevent threats to sustainable farming and people’s livelihoods.

Many of the events on the second day of the global gathering in Paris, France took place in the context of the Lima-Paris Action Agenda (LPAA) – a joint undertaking by the Governments of Peru and France, the Office of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the organizer of the current conference, the 21st meeting of the Convention’s States Parties. The Action Agenda was launched in December 2014 by the previous meeting of the UNFCCC parties in Lima, Peru.

Climate change is a growing cause of displacement in Africa, where some areas have been devastated by drought. Photo: UNHCR/B. Bannon

1 December 2015 –At a gathering of African leaders at the United Nations climate change conference (COP21), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that their continent has an enormous stake in the success of the global event which aims to reach a new universal climate agreement to limit the rise of global temperature.

“Africa is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” Mr. Ban told top government officials at a High-level meeting at the Paris-Le Bourget site of the conference, in the north-east of the French capital.

Focus on early warning-early action systems, insurance, and increasing investment in bid to accelerate climate resilience efforts
Paris, 30 November—A new initiative to build climate resilience in the world’s most vulnerable countries was launched today by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and 13 members within the UN system at COP21, the Paris Climate Conference. The new initiative will strengthen the ability of countries to anticipate hazards, absorb shocks, and reshape development to reduce climate risks.